


Death in the Narrows

by gothamvillains



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Love Confessions, M/M, post-4x22
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 13:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14717223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothamvillains/pseuds/gothamvillains
Summary: Oswald makes a trip down to the Narrows and sees the result of Ed and Lee's altercation.





	Death in the Narrows

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Here's my new fic based on the Gotham season four finale. It was a little weird to write since it's kind of just this singular moment in time, but I wanted to try and give my take on how Ed and Lee got into Strange's hands and why Oswald was apparently behind it.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! :)

The first thing he noticed was the way his eyes were closed.

He’d read somewhere before, somewhere a lifetime ago, that victims dying with their eyes open often indicated a sense of fear. But Edward had always loved a good puzzle. It only made sense that he would feel relaxed in his final moments, knowing that he would at least be able to solve one of the greatest questions life had ever posed.

As for Oswald, he thought the quiet and peacefulness of the scene only served to make it that much more unsettling: not the kind of nightmare that caused you to jolt up from your pillow in a cold sweat, but the type that paralyzed you with horror no matter how desperately you tried to run away. There they lied, the air calm, faces emotionless, bodies almost looking like they could’ve been sleeping if it hadn’t been for the single stab wounds and pool of blood that surrounded them. He stepped around it as best he could in the state his legs were trembling, kneeling besides Edward and gently pulling the lifeless figure into his embrace where he might finally be able to protect him.

“E-Ed?” He whispered, voice getting caught in his throat and lost. “Ed, _please_ , say something.”

He didn’t so much as dare to breathe as he sat there, waiting for a sign of life that would never come. He would’ve even been happy to hear a riddle. But the only words spoken remained his own, repeating over and over, becoming increasingly more incoherent, to please come back, that they could still find a way to work things out, that they could still find a way to be happy.

He hadn’t even been sure what made him go to the Narrows in the first place, although, if he had to guess, he’d ashamedly admit it was to gloat. It had only seemed fair after the way he’d been treated back at the bank. Ed and Lee deserved to get knocked down a peg or two, even if it was only through means of a few petty insults. Beyond that, however, Oswald no longer felt the need to have his revenge include any of the warfare or death threats that had led to the other man becoming imprisoned in a block of ice the previous year. He and Edward could even find themselves with the desire to partner up again one day, and doing so would be all the more easier if they had been maintaining a friendly acquaintanceship.

 _You’re getting ahead of yourself_ , Oswald had thought, but, looking at the situation from a logical standpoint, he’d just shot the last dependable ally he had left beyond resurrection, and Edward was, arguably, the most brilliant man in Gotham. Leaving the option for future collaborations open would just be good common sense on his part. At least that’s how he justified it.

So, he made the trip over to Cherry’s place, deciding that he would simply make Dr. Thompkins aware of his control over the city and offer to let her keep the Narrows so long as she threw her support his way. It seemed like practical business, and he had started feeling pretty good about the decision by the time he prepared to enter the club. It wasn’t even until he was nearing the main arena that it began to dawn on him how off something felt about the situation.

But now, here he was, tears softly rolling down his cheeks as he held the one true love of his life for what could be the final time. And it was in that moment that he realized it never mattered what he intended on saying to Edward when he saw him again. Despite his reservations about going to the Narrows, the one thing that he’d known to be important above all else was just that he went, and now he knew why. He was meant to find him, and, if there was a reason for that, then maybe it could be because he was also meant to save him.

“Strange,” he gasped, quickly pulling a flip phone out of the pocket of his jacket. “Hello? It’s Penguin. I’m down at Cherry’s place in the Narrows. Send three men to come and collect the bodies inside the fight club, and then have them taken directly to Hugo Strange. Tell him… Just tell him to fix them. Do whatever it takes.”

He hung up, quickly tossing the phone aside and redirecting his attention back towards the corpse. There was no way he could stay. He was far too unstable and it would be made immediately apparent how personal the matter was for him, putting Edward in danger of anyone looking to hit him where it hurt the most. He didn’t want to leave his side again, not now, not ever, but, for Edward’s safety, he would have to act as if the fate of his life only concerned him for reasons involving his own political interests and keep matters of the heart out of it.

Would that work? Oswald wondered. Would they think it was frivolous to waste so much time and energy on two insignificant lives when the city was going up in flames? Surely they would at least think their boss ridiculous for bothering, but it didn’t matter. He could hold power over the entire town and all of its people, but it would mean nothing to him if Ed wasn’t by his side. Even if it was only ever as an enemy, he needed to know that Ed was out there, somewhere, and would maybe, one day, if he was lucky enough, return home.

“I’m sorry that I have to let go of you now,” he whispered, taking Edward’s cold hand in his own. “But this will be the last time I ever do. You’ll see. I love you, and I’ll give you the life we always deserved if you just come back and give me the chance. We can get it right this time. I promise. Just come back to me, Ed… Come back to me…”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! :)
> 
> I felt like I was kind of overdoing it on the angst at some points, but it's okay because we all know that Ed's gonna get revived and realize how much he loves Oswald. (That's what's gonna happen in season five, right?)
> 
> Anyway, please feel free to comment any thoughts/suggestions/etc., or you can reach me on Tumblr @/GothamVillians.
> 
> Thanks, guys!


End file.
